Be Wary Of Soviets, Commandant Warns

July 30, 1989|By A.J. PLUNKETT Staff Writer

NORFOLK — As three U.S. Navy ships head for the Black Sea to return a visit by the Soviet navy, the U.S. Marine Corps commandant warned Saturday that Soviet overtures of friendship should be accepted warily.

"There's one thing that has not changed: their dedication to the Marxist-Leninist ideals" of domination, said Gen. Alfred M. Gray Jr. during the commissioning of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, now homeported at Norfolk Naval Base.

As world events and a collapsing economy begin to take their toll, the Soviet Union's philosophies have slowly begun to change in recent years, he said.

"Yes, they seek change because they damn well have to and they know it," Gray said to an approving crowd of nearly 10,000, seated four piers from where three Soviet ships docked a week ago on a friendship call to the United States.

Despite encouraging changes in the Soviet Union, Gray said ships like the Wasp still are needed to maintain a defensive stance and dominance of the seas.

The first of its class, the Wasp was specially designed to handle both the new air-cushioned landing craft and AV-8B Harrier II jets that will aid the Marines in quick troop movement during sea-to-shore assaults.

While there are four other classes of amphibious assault ships that can perform similar functions as the Wasp, such as deploying Marine landing craft or troop carrier helicopters or launching jet air support of the Harrier, only the LHD-1 class of Wasps will be able to perform all functions in one ship.

In the traditional commissioning ceremony, the $1.3 billion Wasp took its official place in the U.S. fleet as Capt. Leonard F. Picotte gave the order to set the first watch and man the ship.

At that order, hundreds of sailors in summer white uniforms ran up the gangway and through the ship to the rails on the deck towering above the crowd.

After receiving permission from Vice Adm. Joseph S. Donnell III, commanding officer of the Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Picotte gave the order to bring the ship to life.